Tiffin City Council At-Large

Mark Hayes

October 15, 2013

Councilman Mark Hayes wants to focus on economic development and improving the safety forces if he is re-elected as Tiffin City Council at-large representative.

Hayes was appointed in 1999 to fill an unexpired term and was re-elected for two terms as council at-large representative. He has held the position of president pro tem, is chairman of the finance committee and is council's representative to Seneca County Regional Planning Commission.

Hayes spent 20 years in banking and he said it helped him in working with the city's finances.

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Hayes

If re-elected, he wants to focus on increasing the number of safety forces.

"We've got to get our safety forces back to mandated levels," he said. "If we were to have two incidents at the same time, it would expose the dangerous levels of undermanning where we're at."

With the income tax revenue at 7.4 percent above last year, he said he wants to maintain that income level.

"We have to keep that momentum going," he said. "We've got to work on the retail sector."

He also wants to continue to work on the infrastructure of the city, including the widening of SR 53 and a possible bypass.

"I'd like to see those done, if I'm re-elected, in the next four years," he said.

He also wants to continue work on the city's sewer system.

Hayes said that with the $2 million carryover, he would like to restore the safety services to mandated levels. He also wants to increase salaries of city employees.

"Our employees have gone without a salary increase for a long time," he said. "We need to look at the salaries of our employees and make some adjustments."

He also would like to use the carryover to put money toward capital improvements and road paving.

"There's no Democrat or Republican way to fix a pothole," he said. "There's a right way to fix it."

If re-elected, Hayes wants to work closer with Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. and its new CEO.

"Rich (Focht) has done a nice job," he said. "It always brings a little something exciting when you get a new person in that position."

Hayes said that while working with council, he uses advice given by a former mayor.

"I always try to do what former Mayor Bernie Hohman used to say," he said. "Just try to do the right thing."